A CHKA spokesperson said that they were giving their free women’s self-defense class when one of the building's residents notified them that someone had tossed a can of paint at the entrance.

"We did not see who did it," the spokesperson said. "We called 911 and the police came right away, spoke to the landlord on the phone and made a report."

Several witnesses as well as the CHKA spokesperson said that a group of travelers/crusties were congregating earlier under the scaffolding outside the building. (The landlord is putting in new storefront windows.)

Here's an account from CHKA:

At around 6 p.m., as our children were attempting to leave the building with their parents after class, a group of 10 or so people with off-leash dogs and open containers were camped out at the entrance under the construction scaffolding. When asked politely to move, they became hostile and violent, screaming and threatening our instructors who asked them to move. The children and families were forced to wait in the building until it was safe to leave.

At one point, one of the dogs lunged at people passing by. We called 911 and the officers who came told the group that they were violating regulations regarding leaning on or being under the construction scaffolding. They finally moved along at about 7:30 p.m. and then the vandalism occurred about an hour later.

[Photo from this morning]

This past summer, a group of travelers/crusties reportedly vandalized the First Ukrainian Assembly of God on Cooper Square at Seventh Street after church officials sprinkled bleach powder on the sidewalk to prevent camp outs.

CHKA, a 20-plus-year-old martial arts school offering classes in Kenpo karate and kickboxing for children and adults, moved here from Avenue A in June.

27 comments:

they're nothing but junkies, stop giving them credit for being anything else but social parasites. I wonder from where they stole the paint they certainly didn't buy it. For people who abuse their animals and sleep outside exposed on the street they have a lot of gall.

It's unbelievable how they get away with bullying everyone on this stretch of Second Avenue. I have been to community board meetings where people complain and the police say they do what they can but their hands are tied. Who do we go to now?

I think this is the same group of Crusties that had that big barbecue in East River Park last summer. They have money, dogs, and drugs, and aggressively take over whatever area they’re currently occupying. Stay away from them if you see them. These people don’t give a crap. About anything.

It sure would be nice if the 9th precinct arrested these assholes when they break the law. Years ago, a crackhead kept breaking into my building lobby, doing unspeakable things in the common areas. When i called the police, the officer tried to claim it’s not a crime to break into a building! The 9th has to be the laziest precinct in the city. Blame must also be laid at the feet of the crusty apologists. Free clean needles, food, and a police precinct that won’t arrest you for doing heroin in front of a playground or attacking people who don’t want you camping in front of the building create a hospitable environment for jackass crusties who don’t give a damn about anyone but themself.

While walking my dog past this same group, in that same spot a few weeks ago, I take a wide swath around them on the sidewalk to keep distance between my dog an theirs'. Apparently, they were offended because they started mouthing off and continued until at least past earshot.

@2:35pm: Agree with you! The 9th Precinct goes through the motions, says all the "right" things, but when push comes to shove, it's pretty clear to me that they don't care - at least I don't see much evidence of them "caring" about anything that happens west of 1st Avenue.

I was told a long time ago that issues occurring on 3rd & 2nd Avenues were lower priority to the 9th, b/c that is considered the "good" part of a "bad" precinct. I don't know what the truth is, but I know what my eyes and ears tell me, and the Crusties are winning this one all the way.

If I were a vengeful sort and knew who were the perpetrators of this paint-attack, I'd be buying a gallon of paint & pouring it all over THEM in the middle of the night.

Why would they leave for the winter? They will be given coats and sleeping bags and sweaters by the usual suspects. When are people going to finally admit that the homeless problem won't be solved by a 15 dollar minimum wage or 'affordable' housing. The only housing these mutants need is at Rulers Island. If the Mayor and NYPD dropped the hammer these situations wouldn't happen and these druggie criminals would stay in LA or SF and not come here anymore.

"When i called the police, the officer tried to claim it’s not a crime to break into a building! The 9th has to be the laziest precinct in the city."

This is so true. I previously called them when a homeless person broke into my building and was sleeping in the stairwell. After 5 mins navigating their awful phone directory, finally got someone on the phone and I had to explain to them that trespassing is a crime and that the person could pose an imminent threat to anyone in the building.

Not to mention the lazy cops that can't bother to get out of their car when patrolling Tompkins Square.

This is some display of hubris by these lowlifes. And challenging a martial arts school. I guess they felt confident because they had their rabid dogs with them.

And why not such brazenness from these wandering folk, because as documented here above, these parasites are being enabled by shockingly indifferent cops, a party atmosphere being induced on the citizenry and the legitimacy of honest graft with the election of a defiantly proud corrupt mayor, which by this incident is giving the dregs of society justification for their criminal habits.

Also the extreme effects of climate change giving the city the warmest autumn ever, which made these junkies felt like they were chilling in Venice Beach.

These creeps are taking advantage of safety net programs that should go to hard working people that are being bled dry with the costs of living here

What's going on in the 9th looks to me like a work slowdown. To the person who got that crass response from that cop, I hope you got that shiftless jerks name and badge number. It's like the east village is becoming a disneyland red light district.

Has anyone walked on 13th street between 1st and 2nd ave lately? There is a sidewalk bridge for the phone company and there are many homeless/crusties there. It smell like a public bathroom along half the block.

Decriminalizing things like public drinking, public urination and being in parks after hours leads to this type of behavior. You can thank the city council for this. Dont blame the NYPD Blame the Mayor. Where are the animal rights people? Don't they care about the abused animals? Where is PETA?

The mayor and the city council have nothing to do with this, other than that deblasio should have never given a raise to an organization in open rebellion against civilian control. All decriminilization means is you get a summons. And it’s still a crime to commit vandalism, shoot up heroin, and assault passers-by.

Yes, the crusties are aggressive and obnoxious. However I'd just like to add that if you really hear their back stories, you will learn that they are not bratty rich kids, as everyone assumes. They are all fleeing abuse and trauma at home. It would be evolved and humanistic of us to keep that in mind as we pass by them. Yes they are horrible, but the parents, guardians and systems that are supposed to raise them with love and keep them safe and protected are more horrible.

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